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SNOWDEN SEEKS ASYLUM IN ECUADOR: NSA leaker Edward Snowden frustrated U.S. officials this weekend as he fled Hong Kong to Russia en route to Ecuador, where he’s seeking asylum after being charged with espionage. The New York Times: “As of early Monday morning in Russia, Mr. Snowden was believed to be staying the night inside the transit zone of a Moscow airport where he was visited by an Ecuadorean diplomat. It was not clear whether he would be allowed to travel further.” http://nyti.ms/1cd5CKB

WIKILEAKS AIDS SNOWDEN: Anthony Faiola of The Washington Post calls Snowden and WikiLeaks the “most obvious of bedfellows.” And on his flight to Russia, according to Faiola, Snowden had a lawyer from WikiLeaks by his side. His escape from Hong Kong “came after what appeared to be a Hollywoodesque plan to spirit him out of hiding in Hong Kong that was orchestrated with the aid of the whistleblower Web site,” Faiola writes. http://wapo.st/17wikHA

CHINA APPROVES: The Chinese government signed off on Snowden’s departure, bringing an end to what could have been a tough diplomatic problem for the country, according to The New York Times. http://nyti.ms/12ciZcg

NO GOOD OPTIONS FOR OBAMA: Snowden’s globe-trotting is an international headache for President Barack Obama, drawing attention to the White House’s powerlessness to bring him back to the Unites States to face charges, reports POLITICO’s Reid J. Epstein.

“There’s no spinning away the story of Snowden’s continued freedom,” Epstein writes. “Obama and his administration couldn’t talk Hong Kong and China into extraditing Snowden before he left the Chinese protectorate, and have minimal sway with Russian President Vladimir Putin.” http://politi.co/10LydXt

AND ON THE SUNDAY SHOWS, Snowden once again captured the attention of pols and pundits alike, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle mocking him for seeking help from countries with poor track records on civil liberties. “I mean, if he could go to North Korea and Iran he could round out his government oppression tour,” Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” POLITICO’s Katie Glueck has more on the reaction in Washington: http://politi.co/188LdsP

HAPPY MONDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where we’re welcoming back POLITICO Pro’s Kate Brannen, who’s been on maternity leave since March with baby Maeve. Mom reports that Maeve is three months old today. Send welcome-back notes to kbrannen@politico.com, and follow us on Twitter @morningdefense and @POLITICOPro.

** A message from United Launch Alliance: With nearly 60 years of experience, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is the premier launch service provider for the DoD, National Reconnaissance Office and NASA. With its reliable Atlas and Delta rockets, ULA launches our nation’s critical national security, science and exploration missions. http://bit.ly/11uLlLm **

THE WEEK AHEAD: The president is leaving on Wednesday on a trip toSenegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is hosting an event tomorrow at the Pentagon in honor of Gay Pride Month. And Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey is discussing cybersecurity on Thursday at Brookings.

ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR: Later this week, the House is expected to take up a bill by Rep. Jackie Walorski to require an inspector general investigation into suspected retaliation in response to allegations of sexual assault. Meanwhile, the Senate this week is once again focused on immigration reform. And on Wednesday, SASC is holding a hearing on a Defense Science Board report called, “Resilient Military Systems and the Advanced Cyber Threat.”

JORDAN DENIES REPORTS OF CIA TRAINING SYRIAN REBELS: Over the weekend, Jordan denied reports the CIA and U.S. Special Operations forces have been training Syrian rebels in Jordan for months, reports Agence France-Presse.“The only Syrians we are dealing with in our country are refugees,” said Jordan’s prime minister. http://fxn.ws/11uUuax

-- Soldiers killed in Lebanon, via Loveday Morris of The Washington Post: “Clashes raged in the southern Lebanon city of Sidon on Sunday night, claiming the lives of as many as 10 soldiers as violence triggered by the war in Syria engulfed its smaller neighbor. The army said it was the subject of a ‘cold-blooded’ attack by armed gunmen intent on plunging Lebanon back into the strife of its own 15-year civil war.” http://wapo.st/16sXHr3

ON THE HOMEFRONT — ‘TALIBAN OFFER ADDS URGENCY TO RALLY FOR POW,’ via The Associated Press, from Hailey, Idaho: “The tearful mother of the only known U.S. prisoner of war said Saturday she’s feeling ‘very optimistic’ about his eventual release after his Taliban captors offered last week to exchange him for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s mother, Jani Bergdahl, spoke to about 2,000 people gathered in Hailey, his hometown, in a city park where he played as a toddler and little boy.

“Though yellow ribbons on Main Street trees and ‘Bring Bowe Home’ placards in Hailey shop windows are a constant reminder of the 27-year-old Bergdahl’s captivity, organizers of the event said the Taliban offer has lent an addition element of urgency — and hope — to Saturday’s gathering.” http://bit.ly/12jjzAQ

WHAT PROS ARE READING: INHOFE JUGGLES COLLEGIALITY AND DISSENT, by Tim Mak: “The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is well-known for being provocative — he opposes women in combat, opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and claims that global warming is a ‘hoax’ — but his ideological purity masks a deeper sensitivity about his place among colleagues.” http://politico.pro/14bGAbH

MAKING MOVES: OBAMA NOMINATES RYMER FOR DoD IG: The president has nominated Jon Rymer to be DoD’s inspector general. Since 2006, Rymer has served as inspector general of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. He’s a former banking executive and Army veteran who from 1997 to 2004 was a director at the accounting firm KPMG LLP.

The Pentagon has been without an inspector general since December 2011, when Gordon Heddell left the watchdog agency to go work for Booz Allen Hamilton. Lynne Halbrooks, the Pentagon’s principal deputy inspector general, has been running the agency ever since.

CHAT WITH PRO ABOUT HEALTH CARE: Mark your calendars for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET, when @KyleDCheney and @JasonMillman host a POLITICO Pro Health Care Chat on Twitter. They'll be talking all things ACA, and you can join the conversation with #ProChat.

THAT’S ALL FOR US. Have a great Monday.

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ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles are the foundation of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Developed by the U.S. Air Force to assure access to space for the DOD and other government payloads, the EELV program supports the full range of government mission requirements, while delivering on schedule and providing 33 percent cost savings over heritage launch systems. Atlas V and Delta IV are the most commercially developed vehicles flying today. http://bit.ly/11uLlLm **